Pneumatic draft gear



Patented Apr. l, 1924.

rra srares .inail r. WEBB, sa.,

fel

OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

PNEUMATIC DRAFT GEAR.

Application filed December 9, 1922. Serial No. 605,883.

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JEAN F. VEBB, Sr., a citizen of the United States,residing at New York, county of New York, and State of New York, haveinvented a certain new and Improved Pneumatic Draft Gear, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention has for its object to provide a draft gear for railway carsandthe like whereby the jolts and jars of a train may be cushioned andreduced, if not entirely eliminated, and whereby the draft stresses andstrains may be distributed throughout the draft rigging of the entiretrain.

The present invention in its general nature provides an air springarrangement located between the draft gear at the ends of the car andcoupled with the same, the present structure being especially designedand adapted to cooperate with and augment the pneumatic draft gea-r atthe ends of the cars (at the couplers) of the kind shown in my originalapplication filed August 26, 1920, Serial No. 406,085.

In its more specific nature the invention provides one or more cylindersthrough which pass connecting rods on which pistons are secured, thepistons Abeing suitably packed and movable within the cylinders and thecylinders `having glands or stuffing boxes where the rod passes yout ofthe same so as to maintain a substantially air-tight chamber within thecylinder into which air from the train line is passed and held againstbackward escapement; supplementing the air spring thus formed are coilsprings within the cylinder, operating in conjunction with the airspring, the rod having its ends connected up with the draft yokes of thecoup-ler draft gear at the ends of the car, thus connecting all of theldraft yokes of a train in series with the intermediate cushioningdevices to form a continuous cushioned draft gear for the entire train.

In its more detailed nature, the invention includes those novel featuresof construction, combination and arrangement of parts, all of which willbe first fully described, then be specifically pointed out in theappended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

Figure 1 is an elevation of a portion of a train equipped with myinvention.

Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of the auxiliary cushioningcylinder and its part-s.

Figure 3 is an enlarged cross section on the line 3-3 showing the mannerof fastening the cylinder to the frame of the car.

e Figure 4 is an elevation of a car sho-wing a modification of theinvention wherein a plurality of cylinders are employed.

Figure 5 is an enlarged vertical longitudinal section of` a modificationof the cylinder arrangement.

Figure 6 is a detail vertical section of one type of back check valvewhich may be used and showing the small leakage port.

In the drawings, in whichlike numerals and letters of reference indicatelike parts in all of the figures, l represents the longitudinal sills ofthe car between which the auxiliary cylinder or cylinders 2 are mounted.e

The cylinder 2 has heads 3 which are bolted to cross irons 4 that areconnected to the sills 1 in any suitable way (see Figure 3), the headsi3 being provided with stung boxes 5 throughwhich the draft rod 6passes. The draft rod 6 is fastened to a piston 7i (see Figure 3) whichis provided with suitable packing rings 8 and is movable in the cylinder2, springs 9 and 10 being provided to tend to keep the piston 7 normallyin the intermediate position in the cylinder sof that compressed air may`pass through vthe ports 12 to either side of the piston. Air isdelivered to the ports 12 from the train line 15 of the air brakesystem, through a back check valve 13 and a connection 14, thus thetrain line air pressure will at all times be maintained within thecylinder 2 for the purpose of resisting the movements of the piston 7and forming an air spring. The back check valves are provided with smallbleeding or leakage ports 13X which prevent the action of the piston 7from building up pressures in the cylinder above train line pressure.

A suitable pet cock 16 is provided to drain water of condensation fromthe cylinder 2.

In Figures 4 and 5 is shown a modification of my invention in which aplurality of cylinders may be provided fo-r each car, the draft rods 6of the cylinders 2 are coupled together by turn buckles 17, the ends ofthe rods 6 are hooked or otherwise secured to the yoke of the couplerdraft gear.

The draft gear of coupler may be of any construction but preferably thatdescribed in my original application. In that application the couplerdraft gear, in addition to the mechanical cushioning springs, isprovided with air springs so as to make the entire draft gear system ofthe train of the pneumatic or air spring kind.

In Figure 5 is shown a modificationrof the invention in Which thecylinders and piston are of the duplex type. The cylinders being dividedcentrally by a partition 21 into tivo chambers or compartments Whichcontain the respective sets of cushion springs 9-10 and pistons 7. Itshould be observed that the several springs 9 and l() are placed inposition in the casing'in their fully extended condition so that they donot exert any pressure on the piston further than that necessary'to pushthe piston to its exac-t'center. They are so powerful that they Willovercome a resistance of thousands of pounds, more than any possibletemporary accumulation of compressed air pressure on one side While theother side is under compression, and they Will force the piston back toits place in the center, so the air compressed on one side can beequalized through the ports 13X.

The independent feed pipe and check valve to each compartment Willrender it impossible for any excess pressure to pile up on either sideofthe piston. This form will not prevent the fullcompression of the airin a compartment `for the sudden impact from buiiing will move thepiston so quickly past its individual feed pipe that no air ofconsequence can escape through the tiny hole in the check Vvalve andonly Vnormal train pressure will ever be behind it on its return. Ofcourse, there Will be a slight compression on the other side of thepiston as it returns to its normal position, but this excess pressure onthat side Will be quickly equalized by the escape of air back to thetrain line through the tiny hole in the check valve.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, it is thought the complete construction, operation andadvantages of my invention Will he clear to those skilled in the art.

What I claim is:

Y l. In a draftV gear mechanism7 the combination with the couplers atthe ends of the car, of a combined pneumatic and spring mechanismconnecting the couplers at each end of a car and including a cylinder, apiston Within the cylinder, a piston rod carrying the piston, fullyextended springs maintained Within the cylinder at each side of thepiston when the piston is centered in the cylinder, and means forleading train line air into the cylinder centrally thereof and includingports delivering to each side of the piston.

2. In a draft gear mechanism, the combination with the couplers at theends of the car, of a combined pneumatic and spring mechanism connectingthe couplers at each end of the car-and including a cylinder, a pistonwithin the cylinder, a piston rod carrying the piston7 fully 'extendedysprings mounted Within the cylinder at each side of the piston When thepiston is centered in the cylinder, means for leading train line airinto the cylinder centrally thereof and including ports delivering toeach side of the piston, said means including a back check valve havinga leakage port for the purposes described.

JEAN r. WEBB, sR.

